Your Library - Equipment for the mind

**d2mini** · 02-08-2018, 07:35 AM

So what's in your fitness library?
What books would you recommend be on everyone's shelf?
Reference, Inspiration, Biographies, etc.

So far I have Starting Strength (current edition) and Bigger Leaner Stronger.
Currently reading "Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder" on my kindle.

Would like to find a really good reference book that goes beyond the big moves in Starting Strength and shows how to do more of the ancillary moves.
I find a book easier to deal with on the spot when in the gym, rather than looking up youtube vids to check correct form or whatever.

**KoolDJVader** · 02-08-2018, 08:07 AM

My fitness book list:

Wendler's 5/3/1 ( 2nd edition), Beyond 5/3/1 and 5/3/1 For Powerlifting
Rippetoe's Starting Strength and Practical Programming
The Barbell Prescription
The New Rules of Lifting:Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle (only one that I have the print edition of)

**hittmanlevi** · 02-08-2018, 08:40 AM

Wendler's "5/3/1 1st edition" Hard copy
Wendler's "5/3/1 for Powerlifting" Ebook
Wendler's "Beyond 5/3/1" Ebook
Wendler's "5/3/1 Forever" Hard copy
Tate's "Under the Bar" Hard copy (great book)
Rippetoe's "Strong Enough" (reading this now)
Eric Burtson's "The Power Guru of Monsta Garage"

**horsediente** · 02-08-2018, 09:03 AM

This is a fantastic idea for a thread. I would say a must have for any serious library is Bill Pearl's books Getting Stronger and Keys to the Inner Universe. They should be bought and read in tandem. Keys to the Inner Universe is more of his bodybuilding encyclopedia, whereas Getting Stronger is a guide to resistance training for sports. Both are useful, and there is not too much overlap. Keys contains quite possibly every lift ever thought of for every body part. Pearl is very no nonsense in that he provides comprehensive, yet practical information acquired through his lifetime of training. Best of all, the books were written before the era of "terrorizing triceps like the pros". I am still of the generation that reads actual books for knowledge about lifting, because honestly, nothing beats sitting on the bog with my tattered old copy of Loaded Guns by Larry Scott.

Keys to the Inner Universe
https://www.amazon.com/Keys-INNER-Un...inner+universe

Getting Stronger
https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Stron...8108594&sr=1-1

**keyboardworkout** · 02-08-2018, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by hittmanlevi

Wendler's "5/3/1 Forever" Hard copy

Anything new in Forever?

Practical Programming is also worth having.

**chadsalt** · 02-08-2018, 09:24 AM

Don't need no stinking books......

Workout logs from various periods over the past 25 years.

A blood work lab report from 3 years ago that explained why I was stuck at 180#.

**hittmanlevi** · 02-08-2018, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by keyboardworkout

Anything new in Forever?

Practical Programming is also worth having.

It explains Leaders and Anchors

It explains Deloading more

It simplified his assistant programing for me

It gives several more workout plans than the other books

**kllrbee** · 02-08-2018, 01:25 PM

For reference....
Starting Strength and Practical Programming...Rip.
Bigger, leaner, stronger...Matthews.
Strength training anatomy...Delavier.
Bodybuilding encyclopedia...Kennedy.
All about Powerlifting....Henriques.

Biography and motivation...
Ed Coan: the Man, the Myth, the Method. I havent got this yet, but its on my list.

Also wouldnt mind reading some Westside material and Mastery of hand strength.

Hmm...looks like I have an amazon order there.

**PtReyesGreg** · 02-09-2018, 05:06 AM

Originally Posted by keyboardworkout

Anything new in Forever?

Practical Programming is also worth having.

Originally Posted by hittmanlevi

It explains Leaders and Anchors

It explains Deloading more

It simplified his assistant programing for me

It gives several more workout plans than the other books

To add to that, Forever has quite a bit more plans than the other books I'd say. There are probably around 30 plans in the book. With the Leaders concept his preference seems to have shifted more to 5's Progression (sets of 5 across) and for supplemental work 5x5 at FSL or SSL, all of which helps you accumulate more volume. In general, all of his programing now seems to have more volume on the main lifts and more clearly defined options for accessory work. I think it was definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Other books I have in my library and refer to on a regular basis are:

The Strongest Shall Survive by Bill Starr
Ironman's Ultimate Guide To Building Muscle Mass (has a lot of interesting programs including some by Brooks Kubik)
Strength Training Anatomy
Practical Programming, 3rd Edition
Built to the Hilt
Serious Strength Training
5/3/1 2nd Edition
5/3/1 for Powerlifting
Insane Training by Matt Kroc
Arnold's Education of a Bodybuilder (mainly because I like his stories of the old days)

**PriorMike** · 02-09-2018, 10:20 AM

SS, Practical Programming and Strong Enough? by Rip
Brawn by Stuart McRobert
Super Natural Strength and Iron Nation by Bob Whelan.
Some Dan John, Harry Paschall, Randall Strossen, Ernie Frantz, Paul Kelso.

A bunch of Brooks Kubik.

And a hard copy of The Strongest Shall Survive by Bill Starr.

**a7stringkilla** · 02-09-2018, 11:30 AM

Pretty basic.

**rpark** · 02-10-2018, 05:46 AM

I’ve still got my first edition of the Arnold encyclopedia on modern body building. Can’t say I’ve used it much in the last 30 years, but back in the day I read through the whole thing and developed my old school approach. Bought it around 1988.

**1651Naismith** · 02-10-2018, 07:54 AM

A couple I have that haven’t been mentioned yet:

Greg Everett, Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches

Andrea Hudy, Power Positions: Championship Prescriptions for Ultimate Sports Performance

Been following the programming in the last one for the last few years and have been very pleased with it.

**BuckeyeROC** · 02-11-2018, 05:27 AM

Great thread and suggestions!

I've been following 5/3/1 for the past several months and read Wendler's first book. Just ordered 5/3/1 Forever.

**horsediente** · 02-11-2018, 10:30 PM

I have a copy of this book too. Mom gave it to me for Christmas in 2000. It is also tattered and falling apart. It is what initially got me into weight training, although I have expanded my horizons quite a bit. As in lifting twice a day six days a week may work for Arnold and his genetics + dianabol, but for the rest of us average washed-up football players, we simply can't make progress on that type of routine. Nonetheless, the Arnold book will always hold a special place on my shelf !!!

**MGM711** · 02-12-2018, 09:17 AM

As I grow older, I really appreciate the writings of Brooks Kubik. We're in a period of rediscovery right now with training and looking back to the training styles of the pre-steriod era of the 40's and 50's has been very useful for me.

**PtReyesGreg** · 02-12-2018, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by MGM711

As I grow older, I really appreciate the writings of Brooks Kubik. We're in a period of rediscovery right now with training and looking back to the training styles of the pre-steriod era of the 40's and 50's has been very useful for me.

Me too. I really enjoy reading his Dinosaur Training ideas and also looking at old programs by Reg Park, Doug Hepburn, etc. There are definitely some gold nuggets in the old ways of training.

**grubman** · 02-13-2018, 05:23 AM

Originally Posted by rpark

I’ve still got my first edition of the Arnold encyclopedia on modern body building. Can’t say I’ve used it much in the last 30 years, but back in the day I read through the whole thing and developed my old school approach. Bought it around 1988.

Same here (got it as a birthday present in hardcover in 85 or 86?). I keep it as more of a nastalgic novelty.

I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said I've read hundreds of bodybuilding books...and kept only the one. Some have little tidbits of interest, but most cover the same ground. Many simply became out of date, and the majority of the books from the 80s were written for (on the sly) steroid users...before we all really knew much about steroids.

Honestly, there are interesting tidbits in newer ebooks...but if there's one thing I've learned, the majority of what a natural lifter needs to know can be written down in about 5 pages.

**horsediente** · 02-13-2018, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by PtReyesGreg

Me too. I really enjoy reading his Dinosaur Training ideas and also looking at old programs by Reg Park, Doug Hepburn, etc. There are definitely some gold nuggets in the old ways of training.

Along these lines, I really enjoy reading vintage issues of Iron Man magazine (anything about pre-1980), before it made the transition to hardcore bodybuilding. The issues are not very thick, but almost all of the articles are informative and thoughtfully written. I kind of wish there was a magazine/journal published today that actually contained information, rather than being first and foremost a supplement catalog. I agree with there being a ton of gold nuggets in the older writing. I have been on a Vince Gironda kick lately. The beautiful thing about reading material from all eras is you don't have to agree with what anybody says, but being exposed to different training philosophies never hurts. I am going to look into Brooks Kubik.

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